What is art? What makes you appreciate art? How do artists sometimes help make history? How do artists sometimes record history?

The purpose of this course is to provide you with a basic understanding of art and art history. By the end of this course you should be able to: identify some of the purposes of art and the roles of the artist, recognize some of the materials involved in the producing a work of art, and understand and use the vocabulary of art.

A greater knowledge of art history should increase your appreciation of art. As an artist, the more you appreciate and understand about the art from different periods in history, the better you can develop and improve your own work. Art, both the making and the viewing of it, encourages us to view the world in new ways, as well as to look into ourselves.

Observation is the key of art. Artists usually have a keen sense of sight. They notice things in the world around them that many people walk past. What they usually see are colors, shapes, textures, light and patterns. Some modern day artists have left their mark on the world by breaking the rules of what some have considered "art." Now it's your turn.